Empty Me, Fill Me, Use Me: 3 Inspired Leadership Lessons from Passion Week

Easter isn't just a date on the calendar. For those of us in the trenches of leadership, Passion Week is the ultimate masterclass in what it actually means to carry authority. We talk a lot about "influence" and "strategy" in entrepreneurship and business, but if we’re honest, most of that is just window dressing.

The real work of leadership happens in the quiet, messy, and often sacrificial spaces between the vision and the execution.

This Lent, I journeyed through the season using the Hallow app, and one prayer in particular stayed with me: "Empty me, fill me, use me." It’s a prayer by Mother Olga on the Hallow app that captures the posture of surrender Passion Week invites all of us into.

As we move through this season, I’ve been reflecting on the three greatest leadership lessons Jesus taught during that final week. These aren't just religious ideas; they are the bedrock of high-performance leadership. They are the keys to moving from a "boss" who manages chaos to a leader who transforms a community.

1. The Power of Humility: "Empty Me"

We live in a culture that rewards the "full" leader. Full of ideas, full of confidence, full of themselves. But the prayer from Mother Olga on the Hallow app gets to the heart of what real leadership requires: "Empty me, fill me, use me."

In the context of Passion Week, we see the King of Kings washing feet. He didn't do it because He lacked authority; He did it because He possessed it completely.

In coaching entrepreneurs and business owners, we often talk about the "Inner Game": a concept popularized by W. Timothy Gallwey. The biggest hurdle to your performance isn't a lack of skill; it's interference. It’s the ego, the fear of looking stupid, and the need to be the smartest person in the room. When your ego is full, there’s no room for growth. There’s no room for your team’s brilliance to shine.

Humility is the process of intentional emptying. It’s saying, "I don’t have to have all the answers." When you empty yourself of the need for credit, you create a vacuum that gets filled with collective wisdom and radical engagement.

Why Leaders Struggle to Empty Themselves

Most leaders I work with are terrified that if they "empty" themselves, they’ll lose their edge. They think humility is weakness. It’s actually the opposite. It takes massive internal strength to set aside your personal agenda for the sake of the mission.

John Eldredge, in Experience Jesus, puts it this way: "Of course, none of this can happen for us until we give our lives back to him – body, soul, and spirit. We must surrender our entire selves to Jesus, asking him to come and cleanse us, to come and dwell within us."

That is the work. Surrender first. Then leadership flows from the right place. If you want to be a leader who actually adds value to your team, your clients, and the people you serve, you have to start by getting out of your own way.

2. Servant Leadership and Sacrifice: "Fill Me"

Once you’ve done the hard work of emptying the ego, you have to be filled with something better. Rick Warren famously noted: "Leadership is not about you; it's about what God can do through you."

Passion Week is the ultimate demonstration of servant leadership. It wasn't a performance; it was a sacrifice.

In the world of business consulting, we see a lot of "leaders" who treat their teams like chess pieces: tools to be moved around to achieve a personal win. That’s not leadership; that’s manipulation. True leadership is about being a conduit. You are filled with a vision and a purpose that is larger than your paycheck or your title, and you let that flow through you to your people.

Moving Beyond the "Self"

When you realize leadership isn't about you, the pressure drops. You stop worrying about your "brand" and start worrying about your "impact."

John C. Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership teaches us the Law of Addition: Leaders add value by serving others. During Passion Week, Jesus didn't just serve; He gave everything. While I’m not suggesting you work yourself into a burnout (in fact, we have strategies to avoid that), I am saying that your primary focus must shift from "What can I get?" to "What can I give?"

When you are filled with a sense of service, your team notices. Energy levels shift. Trust builds. This is the "Energy" component of our CatalX PSE™ framework. You stop being a drain on the organization and start being a power source.

3. Authority in Suffering and Resurrection: "Use Me"

Finally, we look at the authority that comes from the other side of the cross. There is a kind of surrendered authority that only gets forged through trial, obedience, and trust.

Charles de Foucauld captures that posture with unusual clarity: "You will understand that my desires have not changed in any way. They are stronger than ever. But I obey with simplicity and with deep thankfulness, trusting that at the end of this long trial the will of God will be clearly manifested. For all of us have only one desire: to know the will of God and to throw ourselves into doing whatever that might be, with our whole heart and whole strength."

There is a specific kind of authority that can only be earned through suffering and adversity. You see it in entrepreneurs and business owners who have navigated a market crash, survived a failed product launch, or rebuilt a struggling business from the ground up.

Jesus didn't just stay in the grave. He rose. He took the worst the world could throw at Him and turned it into the ultimate victory.

The Resolute Leader

Leadership is hard. It involves "Failing Forward," as Maxwell calls it. You will hit walls. You will face betrayal. You will feel the weight of the "crown of thorns" in your industry. But the greatest form of leadership is the one that says, "Use me," even when it hurts.

We see this in the story of Max the Bear, where adversity becomes the catalyst for resolute leadership. The Resurrected King didn't just return to gloat; He returned to empower. He took His authority and immediately delegated it to His followers.

That is the goal of every entrepreneur. To have the kind of authority that is so secure, you aren't afraid to give it away.

My Friends and Allies

I want to take a moment to express my deep gratitude to my clients, my friends and allies, and the incredible circle of entrepreneurs and business owners I get to work with every day.

I’m talking about the entrepreneurs and business owners who "get" it. The ones who aren't chasing the next hollow trend, but are instead asking the hard questions:

• Am I empty enough to listen?

• Am I filled enough to lead?

• Am I willing to be used for something bigger than myself?

To our partners and the business owners and entrepreneurs who trust Mark Mathia Coaching & Consulting, LLC: thank you. It is an honor to walk alongside you as you navigate the complexities of business growth and performance with humility, servant-hearted leadership, and gratitude for the people you’ve been called to serve.

We see you doing the work. We see you choosing humility over ego. We see you choosing service over self-interest. You are the entrepreneurs and business owners who are actually changing the world, one team at a time.

Applying the Lessons: The CatalX PSE™ Approach

At Mark Mathia Coaching & Consulting, LLC, we don't just talk about these concepts in a vacuum. We apply them through the CatalX PSE™ system. Here’s how these Passion Week lessons align with high-performance business strategy:

Psychology (The "Empty Me")

This is the mindset work. It’s clearing out the self-interference and the limiting beliefs that keep you from being present. It’s the "Inner Game" of realizing that your biggest competitor is often the person in the mirror.

Strategy (The "Fill Me")

This is where we align your vision with actionable systems. When you are filled with a clear purpose, the strategy becomes a natural extension of that "why." We move from "managing chaos" to building championship teams.

Energy (The "Use Me")

This is the execution. It’s the flow state. It’s having the resilience to push through adversity and the energy to inspire everyone around you. It’s about being "used" to your full potential.

A Call to Elevated Leadership

As you reflect this Easter weekend, I challenge you to look at your own leadership through this lens.

Are you a leader who is trying to be "everything" to everyone, or are you willing to be a conduit? Are you holding onto your authority with a clenched fist, or are you secure enough to lead from a place of sacrifice and service?

The greatest leaders in history didn't lead from a throne of comfort; they led from the front lines of service. They understood that the road to the "crown of life": to a thriving, engaged, and high-performing organization: always passes through the "crown of thorns."

If you’re ready to stop playing small and start leading your business with this kind of depth and authority, let’s talk. At Mark Mathia Coaching & Consulting, LLC, we specialize in helping entrepreneurs and business owners bridge the gap between where they are and where they are called to be.

Whether it’s through Strengths-Based Leadership, Profit Acceleration, or deep Enneagram Coaching, we are here to help you be elevated.

Empty me. Fill me. Use me.

That’s not just a prayer. It’s a posture of surrender that changes how you lead.

Happy Easter to you and your families. Let’s lead well.

Mark

Looking to drive real performance and momentum in your business? Let’s connect at markmathiacoaching.com and start the journey to your next level.